Choosing the right Shampoo

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Okay this post is for all of my natural chica's out there and those that aren't natural but really just want to take care of their hair.  I know when I was first considering going natural the first thing I read was has some shampoo's were not very good for your hair because they have chemicals in them that tend to do more harm than help.  There were times when I went to purchase a product but I got bogged down by the ingredients  I had read soo many posts and watched so many YouTube video's I couldn't remember all of the do's and dont's for choosing a shampoo.  So I have decided to put all of my knowledge of choosing the right shampoo into one place...one source of information, so when you are in the store with the bottle in hand you only have to look one place (here...lol) to see all that should and should not be in a shampoo!


Let's start with the basics....

Why do we need shampoo?
Well we need shampoo because it removes dirt and oils that builds up from our hair (it's like dirt is the villain and shampoo is the superhero who chases it away...okay maybe that was a bad example but you get my point)

You get what you pay for

I know that sounds harsh especially for those of us on a budget but that is as honest as I can be.  If you can;t afford or don't want to pay $15-$20 for a bottle of Shampoo (because I can be like that sometimes) you have to keep in mind you may miss out on some healthier ingredients or end up with a product that snuck a few bad ones in).

The Do's (what to look for in a shampoo)
* Shea butter (moisturizer, our hair tends to be more dry than others
* Creamy shampoos
* Glycerin (restores moisture)
* Collagen   (restores moisture)
* Jojoba extract (helps damaged ends)

The Do Not's  (Try to avoid)

* Artificial Fragrances (if you want a scent look for something that has a natural scent)
* Alcohol rich shampoos (will result in dryness)
* Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or any other sulfate (can weaken the strength of your hair and strip it of moisture)
* Artificial Color (don't like a shampoo because you like a color, shampoo doesn't have to look pretty) and example of how a color reads in shampoo is (FD&C Red No. 6)
* Methychloroisothiazolinone (supposed to kill fungi and extend the shampoo's shelf life but it is pretty toxic)
* Silicone's -(yep all of them...they make your hair easier to comb on the front end but over time they will coat you hair and make it hard for true moisture to set in)

The Middle (the one's we love to hate, use them less often)

* Lathering products (we all love a good lather makes the shampoo feel "official" but this tends to cause frizz)

Some final advice :

I say find a few shampoo's that work for you and switch them up...I also recommend shampooing once a week.

***Please not these are my opinions from my own experiences and research that I have done.